


Tempest (on hiatus)

by tuxowl



Category: No Fandom
Genre: Based off a real place, Dragons, F/F, F/M, Faeries - Freeform, Forests, I don't know, Kingdoms, M/M, Medieval, Other, Pirates, Romance, The Fae, Wolves, based off real people, but thats not the main focus of the story, im just lonely alright, jackalopes
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-28
Updated: 2021-01-02
Packaged: 2021-03-11 00:48:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 2,524
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28376460
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tuxowl/pseuds/tuxowl
Summary: Edrys pulled on the reins, bringing Aros to an abrupt stop atop the mountain. He let out a terrified squeal, rearing at the sight before them. Edrys' cloak danced wildly in the wind as she looked down into the meadow.Everything—the trees, the buildings, the castle, everything—was on fire. Scarlet tongues licked greedily at everything they could reach, swallowing trees and devouring entire houses like starving animals to no end. Even as the rain beat down on the flames with no mercy, they continued to spread. Her entire world was being destroyed right before her eyes, and there was nothing she could do but watch. A garden of tears grew along her lower eyelids, spilling over and trailing down her cheeks like rivers of sadness."You're too late," the shadows cawed, laughing as the fire ravaged the beloved kingdom. "It's all your fault."
Relationships: Axx Algheiri/Charles "Bones" Packard, Liam Eymor/Edrys Halloway, Miles Seely/Edin Dohmen
Kudos: 2





	1. Prologue

Clawing at the ground, the faerie’s body shook as darkness began to obscure his sight. Blackness wrapped around his silhouette like a blanket, leaving the man looking like a hole in a magazine where a photo had been cut out.

He tried to scream to no avail as the darkness flooded into his mouth and down his throat. Sputtering pathetically, he began to realize that it was no use. There was simply no hope left. The last thing the darkness took was his eyes, which shone with fear until they too, were swallowed whole. 

He was not the first being to be torn apart and eaten up by such darkness, but he was the first non-human. A curious creature watched from the top of a nearby boulder, not at all scared when the man stilled and then rapidly rose to his feet as if nothing were wrong. The creature nodded and cawed at the corrupted faerie, who responded by snapping open his now crimson eyes and groaning something incomprehensible.

They looked into each other’s eyes for a few short moments, and then the corrupted man melted into the shadows and was gone. The creature, satisfied with his creation, seemed to smile before it turned and took to the sky. It’s wing had snagged a branch on the way up, but it paid the accident no mind and flew away without looking back.

From the night sky, the bird could watch as the corrupted creature slipped from shadow to shadow. It darted through the trees at inhuman speed, a hungry look in its eyes. A kingdom stood proud and strong on the horizon, and the creature was headed straight towards it.


	2. Her Highness, the Queen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Following the deaths of the princess's parents, she is coronated and crowned the new queen of the kingdom.

On the day of Edrys' coronation, the entire kingdom was buzzing with excitement. The event was bittersweet, as it had been caused by the deaths of the princess's parents. Despite this, she held her head high and proceeded with a smile on her face. A knight carried the black crown in his hands before her, his expression stoic as he recited a prayer and then gently placed the item atop Edrys' head. 

Upon standing from the coronation chair, everyone in the room kneeled and began to chant "long live the queen." The first thing Edrys noticed was that the crown fit perfectly. The second thing she noticed was the surge of rather painful energy that shot through her body and down her limbs, all the way to the tip of her tail. She maintained her posture but couldn't stop the wiggling of her tail as the powerful tingling sensation flowed through it. As the newly crowned queen of Viride, she was granted powers by the gods. As the electricity began to calm to a gentle tingling in her hands, thunder rumbled outside. 

_ Rain. _

Upon receiving powers, one inevitably displays them for all to see. Her father had been an unlucky case—upon receiving his, the throne room had been lit aflame—but Edrys seemed to have fate on her side. The rain was rather gentle and would bring growth to the gardens across the kingdom. 

"Her Majesty has been gifted the power of rain by the god Zeus!" The knights called out joyously. 

Outside, the storm continued to brew and bubble until it was drumming against the windows hard enough to concern the civilians. Murmurs of worry began to rise among the crowds, earning a tail-flick and the wave of a hand from Edrys as a response. The rain immediately receded to a drizzle and then stopped completely. Slowly, the sun peeked back into the room. 

Edrys grinned as the crowds erupted into applause. She wagged her tail, then stilled it. She cleared her throat and spoke her first words as queen: "Thank you to all who attended my coronation on this wonderful evening. Let the music start, and the celebration begin!"

Like magic, the pianos began to sing and the people began to move.

. . .

With a sigh, Edrys placed the heavy crown gently onto the cushion and clicked on the lamp on the nightstand. In the corner, a giant cat sat licking its paw. A servant stood nervously near the door, uncertain of what to do or say to her highness next. Edrys noticed the girl's anxiousness and offered her a warm smile. 

"Thank you, Ella. You may leave. Please send in Sir Liam, will you?"

The servant bowed with a quiet "Right away, Your Highness," and left the room swiftly. As soon as the door closed, the queen dropped her proper posture and flopped back onto the plush mattress of her bed with an "oof." She ran a hand down her face, groaning as a headache pounded behind her eyes. The cat trilled in response and laid its head down to sleep. Soon enough, a knock sounded on the door. 

"Enter," she said simply.

A curly-haired knight entered the room, armor plates clanking against each other as he moved. "Highness," he greeted, closing the door. "How was your coronation?"

Edrys sat up, resting her weight back on her arms. "Oh, drop the formalities. I'm still just plain old me. How are  _ you,  _ Liam?"

He chuckled, lifting the chest plate off of his torso and removing the gauntlets on his hands. "If you insist, 'Rys. I'm alright. Just a little tired, 's all."

"That's fair," she nodded. "Me too, if I'm being honest. Receiving my magic was really draining. It's like all the energy was just sucked out of me. Mom never told me about that."

"The circle likes to talk rumors a lot. If I reveal that getting magic is 'draining,' they'll eat it right up." He joked, sitting at the foot of her bed.

Edrys shook her head quickly. "No, I have to think about my image now. You're my friend, but nobody else can know that I'm capable of being weak. I gotta be strong now, even if I'm not sometimes."

"I see. Just promise me you won't lock your true identity away forever, okay?"

"I won't," she laughed, head thrown back and shoulders bobbing. "I'm still me, and always will be. Acting strong in the public eye is just a little more important now than it was before."

He smiled and a gentle silence fell over them. It was far from uncomfortable. On the contrary, it was familiar. Warm, like a hug. Time passed and neither faerie dared to break the quietness. The queen noticed the knight staring but didn't say anything.

"You should probably get back to whatever knightly things you have to be doing," Edrys gently said, snapping him out of his trance.

He blushed gently, a delicate pink dusting his cheeks. "Oh, yes, right. Thanks for chatting." He stood, taking his armor and returning it to its place on his body. 

"Have a good night, 'Rys."

"And you, Sir Liam," she responded as he left. 

The door clicked shut, and silence fell over the room once again. This time, though, it was different. Lonely, even. Edrys slumped back into the soft pillows and closed her eyes.

It began to rain.

The gentle sound was enough to bring her back to a memory, just a few months prior. The grass under her bare feet was soft, and the large feline at her side was purring rhythmically as they walked through the castle gardens. Under her cloak, she could not feel the cold of the night or the wetness of the rain. 

"You're nervous," The cat meowed, voice gentle and feminine like a young woman.

"Yes," Edrys responded curtly.

The cat padded ahead until it was in front of the girl and stopped. Both stood at eye level to each other.

"Your parents have never failed to return before. Why do you worry that this time will be different?" The cat tilted its head.

"Because, Friday," the girl spat, tail lashing as she pushed past the feline. "I have a bad feeling, okay? My intuition has never failed me in the past."

Friday hummed and paid the poor attitude no mind. "Well, if they do not return, you will still have me for as long as you live."

"I know. And I'm thankful for that." Edrys sighed, scratching her companion's giant, furry, soggy head as they kept walking through the flowers.

Edrys opened her eyes. Friday was now staring at her with half-lidded eyes from her bed in the corner of the room. A lump was caught in the queen's throat.

"I was right, you know." Her voice shook.

The cat yawned and stood, stretching. "I never denied that."

Friday walked over to the bed, shoulder blades flexing and muscles rippling under her black coat. She climbed on top, the bed dipping under her weight. Edrys lifted an arm and the giant cat curled up next to her. As they began to fall asleep together, Friday spoke once more.

"I didn't lie either."


	3. Pushing Buttons

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A disturbance in town brings a new possible ally, but as Edrys questions him her patience begins to thin.

The day began slowly, a nervous servant coming in just after dawn to wake Edrys and her sleeping panther-cat. Groggily, the queen rose and let the servant help her dress as Friday continued to snooze. Their kingdom was that of the fae, and so their ways were not particularly traditional. There was no such thing as rich and poor since there was no currency. Transactions were made via the trade of services or items. Thus, everyone wore whatever they pleased. Peasant's clothes and royal garments mixed like ingredients in a cauldron. 

The same servant from the night before, Ella, helped the queen slip on a burgundy satin lace-up top. Edrys smiled as the ruffles around the collar tickled her skin. Next was the pleather pants, which were brown and soft to the touch. Her boots and cloak were both black and fur-lined. The servant bowed and, when dismissed, left the room promptly to let her queen finish readying herself alone. 

"I like her," mewled Friday, who still hadn't left the bed. "She's got a good aura. Yellow, with a little green."

Edrys slipped on her gloves and fiddled with the golden clasp around her collarbones. "Chartreuse?"

A hum of affirmation sounded from the beast before it stood and hopped down. "Like summer grass."

Somebody knocked at the door, successfully startling both beings in the room. Edrys quickly placed the obsidian crown atop her head before calling out, "enter!"

Toby, a royal guard and Liam's brother, opened the door and stuck his head in. "Your Highness, there was a disturbance in the town square. A civilian was reported to be acting rabid and appeared as a silhouette. His son came looking for him moments after we were finally able to detain him. The boy swears he has no idea what has gotten into his father. They are both waiting in the dungeon for further orders."

Friday lifted her head in curiosity. "A boy? A father? Perhaps the father caught rabies."

Edrys shot a quick glare at Friday for speaking out of turn in front of someone. The feline blinked in indifference, not caring in the slightest.

"Bring the boy to me in the throne room. I would like to meet him," Edrys ordered.

"Yes, Your Highness." Toby nodded.

The queen quickly brushed through her dark, lion-like tail and followed the guard out of the room. They parted ways at the end of the hall, where Toby headed towards the dungeon and Edrys continued alone.

She trotted down the steps to the main hall and pushed open the back doors to the throne room. The few people who were in the room bowed as she stepped into the light.

The throne room was exquisite, adorned in purple and red silk banners and crystal chandeliers that refracted light into rainbows. The throne itself was a great, big tree, leafless spare for a few pink blossoms that sprouted around the branches. It sat in a small circle of grass atop a pedestal. Edrys leaped up the trunk with ease and took a seat on the designated blanket, face neutral as everyone rose to standing positions again. Her head was the tallest in the room thanks to the height of the tree, and the knights on either side of the pedestal seemed miles below. Edrys settled in and waited as moments passed.

Two servants pushed open the doors on the left and three faeries walked through them. A young boy around Edrys' age and height, and two knights on either side of him. He was brought to the front carpet that trailed from the throne to the front doors. When he didn't kneel, he was forcefully kicked down. Narrowing her eyes, the queen inspected the boy.

He looked nonchalant, keeping his eyes on the ground.

The queen leaned back against a branch. "You are aware your father has been captured for felonious assault, attempted thievery, property damage, and resisting authority, correct?"

The boy nodded.

"Do you offer any explanation for his actions?"

"Not really. He-"

"You will address me as 'your highness' only. Were you not taught how to refer to royalty?"

The boy rolled his eyes. "Sure thing, _your highness._ My dad disappeared last night and I thought he went to a tavern. He didn't return. I went out to look for him today when I saw him attacking the knights. He was, well, different. All shadowy and stuff. He can't change his appearance like that, I'm sure of it. I have no idea what happened to him."

Edrys hummed, ignoring the disrespect in his tone. Focusing, she looked into his soul but couldn't see a speck of deceit. He was being honest. Readjusting her position on the branch, she asked, "what's your name?"

"Axx, _highness_."

"Got a last name?"

"Algheiri."

"Alright, _Axx Algheiri,_ I believe you. Despite your blatant lack of respect and problem with authority, I can tell that you speak the truth. However, manual labor is required to make up for the damages caused and your father is unable to do it himself. That leaves you open to do it for him."

"Depends on the job you want me to do."

Edrys' tail twitched. "It wasn't a request. You will be trained, and then serve as a knight for three full moons. After that, you may stay in the circle or leave if you wish."

Axx's jaw tensed as he kept his lips pursed.

"You will be staying in a supervised spare room but you are _not_ a 'welcomed guest.' Perform well and you might earn that privilege in time. I'm done with you for now. Guards, please take him to his room."

He was yanked to his feet and lead away swiftly.

The second the doors closed behind the boy, Edrys let her tail go lax. Speaking to no one in particular but knowing someone would respond, she let her voice ring out through the hall. "Please fetch Friday and prepare her for a trip into town." 

The response came from a guard to her left. "Right away, Your Highness; But with all due respect, for what reason are you venturing into town?" 

She flashed her canines with a grin. "Well, I've been thinking. It's about time I get myself a horse, don't you agree?" 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this took so long! Please tell me if I can improve your character in any way, sunflower! <3

**Author's Note:**

> Hi friends! Let me know if there are any errors or things like that I might have missed. I don't have a beta atm so I'm kind of just winging it. I'll try to update every other day or two. Please keep in mind that this is a short story and therefore chapters will only be around 1000-1500 words or so.


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